consumer advocacy

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In light of World Consumer Rights Day and the 2024 theme, CHOICE and the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) have both released articles on artificial intelligence (AI) and the importance, and absence, of consumer voices when discussing use and regulation. Based on CHOICE’s recent research, almost 4 in 5 Australian’s think that business’s should be…

Read More Australians Want Regulation But Consumer Voice Missing in AI Debates

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Original media release by and for COTA (12/03/2024). Federal Goverment must deliver robust Aged Care Act without delay. Rights of older people have been ignored for too long The Federal Government must finally deliver a new Aged Care Act that protects and enforces the rights of older people, allows visitors in aged care at all…

Read More Advocacy Groups Urge Action for a Robust Aged Care Act

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Original media release by and from CHOICE (13/03/2024). Big tech responsible for big losses: 249% increase in social media scam losses since 2020 CHOICE calls for strong rules to force digital platforms to rein in scams Consumer group CHOICE is demanding urgent government action to force digital platforms to prevent scam losses, after the National…

Read More Digital Platforms Need to Take Responsibility, CHOICE Urges Government Action

Regulations

Original media release by and from Consumer Action Law Centre (12/03/2024). Consumer groups have responded to draft Buy Now, Pay Later legislation (BNPL) released today : Quotes attributable to Stephanie Tonkin, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre“We welcome regulating Buy Now, Pay Later and future unregulated products as credit because every day we are speaking…

Read More Buy Now, Pay Later Regulation A Step Forward, But Regulatory Holes Remain A Concern

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“This is completely inappropriate,” said Lauren Levin, The Director of Policy and Campaigns at FCA. “It was shown at a time when children would be watching. ‘Set for Life’ is exposing children to a gambling product and we know gambling can be very harmful.”

One of the contestants won a challenge and part of her prize was a ‘Set for Life’ package worth $60,000. The logo was displayed a number of times during show segments and the product was also mentioned on numerous occasions throughout the episode.

Read More FCA Calls for In-Program Gambling Ads to be Removed from Survivor

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Original text from the AER (8/03/2024). The Australian Energy Regulator is developing a toolkit to help consumer-facing energy businesses identify and engage with consumers experiencing vulnerability. The toolkit has been informed by: It summarises insights from these sources into 6 better practice principles: The toolkit has been designed to help staff at consumer-facing energy businesses…

Read More Consultation for AER on Developing a Toolkit to Identify and Support Vulnerable Consumers

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Original media release from The Hon Stephen Jones MP, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services (7/03/2024). Consultation available here. The Albanese Government is working to improve insurance affordability as more severe weather events contribute to higher costs. As these events intensify and become more frequent, it’s also important consumers know exactly what they are…

Read More Consultation Opens for Standardizing Definitions and Standard Cover for Insurance

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The results of recent research on grocery unit pricing (pricing per standardised unit of measurement) in the United Kingdom have been released by Competition and Markets Authority. The research involved: The Queensland Consumers Association says that many of the results are very relevant to grocery unit pricing in Australia including that: The CMA’s conclusions from…

Read More Results of UK Research on Grocery Unit Pricing Released

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The Consumers Federation of Australia (CFA) and CHOICE have provided a submission to the newly newly established Competition Taskforce on merger approvals.  Australia has many markets that are highly concentrated; supermarkets, airlines, banking, telecommunications, energy and insurance are all markets where a few dominant companies provide most Australians with essential products and services. Increasingly, we…

Read More CFA Supports Reforms to Merger Approvals